The Breach
by dontevenbother
Summary: When a young woman is denied entry as a soldier based on her gender, she makes a plan to join the war as a boy. What she didn't plan however was the amount of disdain the Just King would have for her alter ego.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia, or any of the lands, characters and ideas that are associated with the books. The plot itself if based roughly on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Disney's Mulan and She's the Man. **

**Prologue**

_Narnia_

_March 15, 1015_

_Year 11 of the Golden Age_

The four monarchs of Narnia stood around the giant table, studying the maps placed on it, carefully. Oreius, was muttering under his breath as he read the maps patiently, raising a hand at times and running it down the page as if he was tracing something with the tips of his finger. He would pace ever so often, his hooves gently tapping against the stone floor creating a soothing sound.

Several other talking beasts were in the room, but they didn't dare interrupt while the five stood around the table. They were in a very well-hidden part of the castle. A room where all the war related meetings took place. The walls were adorned with several maps of Narnia, and the countries closest to it. The back wall was covered with shelves that held war books, books of strategy. The room had no windows, and the only light provided came from the torches hanging on the wall, and the few candles that were placed on the table. The ceiling was a good thirty feet high so that it could fit even the biggest beasts of Narnia comfortably.

There was a gentle knock on the giant wooden double doors, before the left one opened cautiously. A young faun entered the room, looking around nervously.

"What is it, young one?" Oreius asked gently as he stopped his pacing.

"Merinik asked me to open the door," the young faun answered, moving away from the doorway.

A black hawk flew into the room, landing on a high perch. The young faun scurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Well?" King Edmund asked, "Is it true?"

"Unfortunately, sire, it is," Merinik said, opening his wings and doing a slow lap around the room before, settling back down on the perch.

"What did you see, Merinik?" High King Peter asked solemnly.

"I saw the thing I most did not want to see," the hawk said, "I saw the army, coming in slowly from all sides, your majesty."

Edmund let out an expletive that wasn't completely appropriate in the presences of the two queens.

Queen Susan gave him a look, while the youngest of the four, Queen Lucy, let out a giggle.

"How long do we have?" King Edmund asked impatiently, his hands grasping the sides of the wooden table.

"I would estimate about three weeks to a month," Merinik said calmly.

The High King raised his eyebrow at the statement. The other three monarchs looked slightly confused as well.

"Why so long?" the High King asked, "If they are already closing in, why would they let a whole month pass before making a move?"

"It seems," the hawk stated uncomfortably, looking around the room as if he was searching for his next words carefully, "this seems to be the first wave of soldiers."

"First wave? You mean there are others?" Susan asked, sounding alarmed.

"From what I overheard of the Calormenes, there will be four waves in total."

"Four waves?" High King Peter asked the hawk, his face not quiet as steady as his voice.

"Yes, Sire," Merinik responded.

"So how many soldiers are we looking at?" King Edmund asked, glancing over at Susan who looked a bit pale.

"I would guess around three thousand," the hawk said gravely.

"Three thousand?" Queen Lucy exclaimed, "That's twenty six hundred more than last year."

"This is entirely my fault," Queen Susan whispered, looking down at the map, "This is because I rejected Rabadash."

"A man that starts a war because a woman told him no, is not a man you want to be aligned with, Su, and I for one thank Aslan that you had enough sense to say no," King Edmund said, placing a hand on her shoulder in support.

"Ed is right, Su, this isn't a fault of your own at all. It's merely the result of a man who, for once, didn't get what he wanted, and in order to remedy that, he decides to try to take out an entire nation," the High King answered.

"But I though that Rabadash could not leave his country, and if he did, he would permanently turn into a donkey. That is what Aslan told us," Queen Lucy said from her spot by the table.

"Yes, that is true, Queen Lucy, but there is nothing stopping the boy's father from pursuing action," Merinik said helpfully. "He seems to think that Narnia simply won't have the numbers to compete with this army. He believes that if they pass through Archenland peacefully, King Lune will also refuse to help us."

"I suggest King Lune be alerted immediately of the incoming invasion, I have no doubt that he will assist us," Swallowpad, the raven said. Swallowpad was one of the royal advisors, and he hardly gave out faulty advice. He had also been present in Tashbaan last year, when Queen Susan had rejected the proposal of Rabadash.

"I am inclined to agree with Swallowpad," Oreius said.

"Alright, Lucy, go and send the letter, then go to bed. It's late and we have a lot to do in the morning. Su, I suggest you retire as well; Ed and I will take care of this," the High King said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Merinik, tell us everywhere you spotted the Calormenes while you scouted," King Edmund said, picking up his quill to make notes of it on the map.

"Aslan, help us," the High King muttered as the map slowly got covered with black ink.

* * *

**Just to clear a few things up:**

1. I'm using my own timeline, and not going the by the book timeline

2. In my story, the golden age lasts for 15 years, and they are currently at year 11. It takes place a year after "Horse and his Boy."

3. Lucy is 20 years old, Ed is 21, Susan is 23 & Peter is 24.

4. If you need anything else cleared up, just ask!

Hope you enjoyed the prologue. This is my first attempt at Narnia Fanfiction so please leave a review and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Archenland _

_March 19, 1015_

The morning air was cold as it hit their skin, but welcomed none the less. The darkened sky did well to hide the two fighters from prying eyes. The clanking of swords was loud, the echo even more so, but the two fighters continued focused only on their task. A grunt would usually escape the mouth of one of the fighters every so often disturbing the morning peace.

"Have you had enough yet?" a voice asked sounding as if the speaker was out of breath.

"Are you surrendering?" a second voice asked also sounding quite ragged.

"No," the first voice said just as the sound of two blades making contact reverberated through the clearing.

"Well, you're not surrendering, and I have yet to make you bleed so the answer should be quite simple."

With those words the blades smashed against each other, acting as both an attack weapon, and a shield. The fighters moved swiftly around each other, looking for a hole in each others defense.

Finally after another few minutes of intense sword play on both fighters' part, a hole was found. The taller of the two slashed his sword across the other's torso, not making contact, but giving him enough time to force the shorter fighter on the ground with a swift kick. The taller fighter stood above the other, the tip of his sword resting on other's neck. He applied a slight bit of pressure until a single drop of blood touched the tip of the sword.

"First blood. I win," he said, still standing over his victim.

"Rayna, are you here?" A third voice said, coming into the clearing. The newcomer froze as he looked at the scene before him.

The young girl on the ground looked at him and groaned. With the assistance of her sparing partner, she was up off the ground in no time. She ran a finger over her neck, and glared at the man who caused the stickiness under her fingers.

"What is it, Rayden?" she said, turning to the newcomer.

He didn't look very pleased with the situation, his hand resting on the hilt of his own sword as he looked at the girl. "Father asked me to find you, and bring you to breakfast," the boy said, running his fingers through his short black hair. It was something of a habit.

"How does he know that I'm not in bed?" Rayna asked, her voice becoming slightly panicked. Her sparing partner too looked a bit uncomfortable at the thought.

"It seems like someone isn't very good at keeping her secret activities a secret," Rayden answered with a grin, looking between the two figures in front of him. "You know I wouldn't do that to you," he said, answering the unspoken question.

Rayna nodded. She knew her brother, her twin brother none the less. He wouldn't let her secret slip, but somebody did. She looked over at her partner, Gunter. His hand was clasping the hilt of his own sword as he looked at her. She knew that he didn't tell either. He had a whole lot more to lose than she did.

Rayna picked up her sword off the ground and joined her brother at the edge of the clearing, letting him lead her out.

"Who told him?" she asked softly, looking down at the dirt path rather than her twins face.

"He's not a fool, Rayna, you know that," Rayden said with a slight chuckle.

"I know," she answered, approaching the rather large stone manor.

"Alright, so meet me back here in thirty minutes," Rayden said, stepping through the front door.

"What for?" Rayna asked, slipping off her mud covered boots by the door, and traded them for clean pair of slippers.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you we were having breakfast up at the castle with King Lune?" Rayden said mischievously as he slipped though another doorway.

Rayna glared at the spot her brother occupied mere seconds before, before she trudged up the stairs to her own private quarters.

* * *

The morning sun was higher in the sky, basking the whole room with its warm rays. It was still very early in the spring, so days like this were hard to come by.

Rayna stood in front of her mirror, peering at her reflection. Her long black hair was caked with mud and dirt, her clothing not faring much better. Rayna and Rayden looked extremely similar to each other, both with the same black hair and the darkened complexion. They stood out from most of the others in Archenland. Both had taken to their mother's side of the family in appearance, but they did inherit their light blue eyes from their father.

Rayna sighed at her reflection before walking away towards the bath. She peeled off the dirty tunic and slacks, and then settled into the bath. The clear water turned a murky shade of brown within minutes. She picked up a sponge, and ran it over the cut on her neck. She would get Gunter back for that she thought miserably as she scrubbed it. Rayna ran her fingers through her hair, a trait she shared with her brother, before plunging herself into the water. She came up a few seconds later gasping for breath. She leaned over the side of the tub to grab hold of the fluffy towel one of the maids had set aside for her use.

Within minutes she was dry and pulling a simple blue gown made of velvety material over her head. The gown had full length sleeves that fit snuggly around her arms. It tightened at the waist before falling down to her ankles. Rayna frowned at the reflection the mirror. She would have chosen her tunic and slacks over this any day. Where was she even supposed to put her sword while wearing this?

Her damp hair hung loosely around her face as she searched the room for a pair of shoes that would be more appropriate for this outfit. Her combat boots would certainly not suffice. She was in enough trouble as it was; she didn't need yet another reason for her father to be upset with her.

Rayna closed the door behind her as she made her way back out to the spot she would meet her twin. She hesitated as she walked past her mother's craft room. It looked the same, and why wouldn't it? No one had been in there for almost nine years now. Her father had prevented the maid from clearing it out. Rayna had her suspicions that her father would visit the room every once in a while. Why else would he keep the room around? It only brought back memories of pain. Rayna missed her mother dearly, but it was easier for her not to think about it. She knew it must hurt her father every time he looked at the twins, since they looked so much like her.

"Rayna, hurry up!" Rayden shouted urgently, his voice coming from somewhere near the front door of the manor. With one last glance at the craft room, Rayna ran over to join her brother.

* * *

A lot had happened in Anvard recently, keeping King Lune in high spirits. The castle was bustling with workers as Rayna and her brother walked through the front gates. They were greeted by the guard with friendly smiles, who also kindly let them know that breakfast had started ten minutes ago.

Rayna walked behind Rayden as he pushed open the doors of the King's dining hall. There was one long table set up in the center of the room, with mountains of food settled atop. King Lune was sitting in the dead center, facing them.

Rayna noticed her father was sitting across from him, his back to them. There were two empty chairs on either side of him.

"King Lune," Rayna and Rayden said in unison. She watched her brother bow beside her, while she curtsied. She walked over to the empty chair on her father's right. He stood up, helping her to be seated before returning to his own chair.

King Lune was flanked by his own twin son's Cor and Corin. The former was the reason of King Lune's high spirits. It had only been a year since Cor's return to the Kingdom, but it one that was still being celebrated by the people of Archenland. Beside Cor sat Aravis, a young girl from Calormen who had found Cor during his escape. She too was running away at the time. She was also very much part of this family now considering her closeness with the young prince.

The two were currently whispering to each other in harsh tones. They fought like this often, yet they were still inseparable. Aravis looked up and grinned at Rayna before turning back to her breakfast, paying no attention to the fuming prince beside her.

"Prince Cor, Prince Corin, how are you this morn?" Rayna asked amicably as she spread a glob of butter over her toast.

"I'm doing a lot better now that you are here, Lady Rayna," Prince Corin said cheekily. Rayna heard her brother snort from the other side of their father. King Lune looked at his young son with a look of amusement, while his older son continued to glare at his breakfast.

"I think, your time would be better spent pursuing someone who is not five years your senior," King Lune said happily as Rayna and her father chuckled. Prince Corin didn't look the slightest bit deterred, and continued to look at Rayna, a smile on his youthful face.

* * *

"I have received word from the Kings and Queens of Narnia," King Lune said, as the seven of them had moved their conversation from the breakfast table to the royal lounge.

Rayna glanced at the Princes who were only present because they were royalty, and therefore had a duty to be present while serious topics were discussed, so that they could learn from them. Aravis, who was sitting slightly father from the group, was there because Cor tended to stick to her like glue. She was practically considered royalty in Anvard anyways, so there was no point in keeping her from the conversation.

Rayna turned her gaze back to her father, the general of the King's Army, who was reading over the letter the foreign monarchs, must have sent. His face was hard and unreadable as he read the letter over. Rayden was looking over their father's shoulder, his face weary.

Rayna sat in her cozy armchair, trying not to tap her foot impatiently. She was dying to see what the letter said, but since she was a _lady, _andher father felt that it didn't concern her. His feelings on the matter were summed up nicely with the statement 'that a lady had no place in a war.'

"What is your will, my King?" General Joseph Kline asked.

"Half of our army will go, while the other half guard Anvard, incase we also be a target," King Lune said, dropping the parchment on the table.

Rayna picked it up and started to read. The letter explained the situation that was occurring on the other side of the border, in Narnia. Rayna frowned at the numbers she saw, there was no way that Calormen could have gotten those kinds of numbers could they? The Archenland army was quite small, which would mean that only about five hundred soldiers would be sent to Narnia to help on the warfront.

"Rayden, will you go?" her father asked, looking at his only son.

"Of course, father, I would be honored" Rayden said, his voice strong and powerful.

Rayna looked at her twin, he was almost the best soldier that Archenland had to offer, but that could be because he had been training with a sword, under their father, the general, since he was about six years old. Rayna had started her own sword training after her mother had passed nine years ago at the tender age of eleven.

"What about you, father, will you be going too?" Rayna asked curiously.

"I cannot desert my King," he said softly, placing a hand on top of hers.

"And where does that leave me?" she asked.

"Rayna, you are not a child any more, you are a grown woman of twenty. It does not suit you to waste your time playing with sword. You have no place in this war, and I must insist that you stop with these foolish sparring matches with my knights, ones who are better off training new recruits, rather than training you."

She knew that her father would say that. He never did approve of her playing with weapons, but she didn't expect it to pierce through her heart like it did. Sword play was her thing. It was what helped her get through each and every day. She was a better fighter than most, but she was denied her passion, simply because she was a woman.

Her father and the King departed quickly afterwards, Rayden going with them to organize plans for the upcoming war. Price Cor and Aravis left not too long after them, Aravis shooting her a sympathetic smile.

"If it's any consolation, I think you handle a sword quite spectacularly," Prince Corin said from the doorway, "I reckon you're loads better than three quarters of the army, hell I wouldn't even be able to tell that you were a girl if you were suited up in armor."

Rayna watched him leave, feeling a little bit better knowing that someone, even if it was a young fifteen year old boy, had acknowledged the fact that she had some talent.

A slow predatory grin formed on her lips, as her brain came up with what she thought was an ingenious plan.

* * *

**I love getting reviews, so please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**

**Thank you to **DayDreamerGirl4life**, **MegElemental**, **justplaincrazy8** & **chocodrizzle **for their wonderful reviews for the prologue. **


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Narnia_

_March 22, 1015_

Edmund stared at the map for what seemed to be the seven hundredth time that week. In fact, it was pretty much all he looked at ever since news of the Calormene invasion had been announced. He rubbed his eyes as his vision started to blur. He had hardly gotten any sleep, but sleep was a luxury he decided he could manage without. He was slowly coming to the realization that that might not in fact be completely true.

"Sire, I suggest you retire. You have been staring at this map for quite some time now, yet you have gotten no where," drawled Zyad.

Edmund pulled his gaze away from the map and turned his attention to the black panther that was lounging on the thick rug at the corner of the room. Zyad was Edmund's personal guard, but he was also Edmund's closest confident. Zyad would always tell him the truth. Zyad was nothing if not brutally honest.

"We are approaching a war, Zyad. We need to be prepared," Edmund said, staring right into the yellow eyes of the beast.

"Yes, prepared. Not sleep deprived," Zyad said, standing up on his four legs and slowly walking over to Edmund. "You need to rest. New recruits are going to be coming from Archenland in a matter of days, and you need to be ready to train them."

Edmund sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. There was no point in arguing with Zyad, the beast always had a tendency to win.

"Fine," Edmund said as he walked over to the door, Zyad on his heels.

-------------------

_Archenland_

_March 22, 1015_

Rayna huffed as she climbed yet another hill. She really wasn't aware how much of inhibited areas of Archenland there were. She was used the hustle and bustle of daily life in Anvard.

It wasn't that she didn't know before hand that a lot of Archenland was just wilderness, but it was different when you had to cross it on your bare feet. They had been traveling for days now, yet there was no end in sight.

Rayna donned on some amour she had found back at the base in Anvard. The smallest size was still one size to big for her, seeing as most Archenland soldiers were big and bulky.

She had chosen to ware a basic grey tunic and forwent the chainmail all together. She had tried it on, but it weighed way too much, and she wasn't prepared to wear it on a long journey such as this. It may have saved her life if a battle broke out, but it would inhibit her from defending herself properly. How was one supposed to fight when they could barely life up their sword hand?

Rayna knew she had her work cut out for her, yet she was determined to make it work. She went through a lot to do this, and gave up even more. If someone ever found out, well she couldn't even bring herself to think about that.

The heavy breast plate that she wore on top of the tunic made her feel ridiculously hot with the sun in the sky. It had an intricate pattern on it's outside, identifying the soldiers as natives of Archenland. At this point she felt more like a chicken roasting rather than a solider. Her feet felt sore in her boots and it wasn't the first time she questioned her decision to go through with this extremely stupid plan.

The comment Corin made a few days ago was really where the inspiration for this idea had come from. She was a good fighter, and the only thing that held her back was her gender. Rayna scoffed at that.

She decided that the only way she could be a part of this war was if she did something about it herself. Rayna went to her father and blatantly lied to his face. She told him that she would be retiring to her Aunt Eden's home, which was out in the wilderness, so that she could be kept away from the war. Her father was very accepting of this idea, thinking she was finally embracing her lady-like qualities.

It would be easier to pull this off considering that her father wouldn't be going. He had to stay back to protect the king. Her father almost foiled her plan when he suggested that Aravis go with her. King Lune had interfered on that one, stating that Aravis had to stay at Anvard. Rayna had a pretty good feeling that Prince Cor had been the one behind that statement.

Prince Cor was a very well-behaved young man who was still getting used to being a prince. He spent a lot of his life not knowing who he was. It made him weary about the things around him. Aravis was the only person who knew what he had gone through to get away, and they had bonded over that.

He considered her his best friend, but Rayna could see that there was more than just friendship between the two. She was sure that it would bloom into something greater still. It was quite amusing seeing the two communicate with each other.

The night she had broken into the military base at Anvard, she was surprised to see Cor and Aravis there. Cor was lying on the dirty floor, with his head resting in Aravis' lap. They weren't talking at all, just enjoying the peace. There was nothing going on that would seem inappropriate, but Rayna felt as if she was witnessing an intimate moment between the two and quickly looked away.

She had snuck away to the back, where the storage was located. That was her best bet at finding some armor that would fit her. She spent a few hours in the room, being as silent as possible while trying on the bits and pieces that made up the outfit as well as polishing the armor so that it didn't look so unused.

"Halt."

Rayna was brought out of her thoughts and focused on the man that spoke. He was in full Archenland armor, sitting on his dark brown horse, looking at the first battalion made up of one hundred soldiers. There were five battalion's in total coming from Archenland.

"We are approaching the Narnian border. Be prepared for an attack. These lands are no long safe. The Calormen army is hiding in this wilderness, and the moment we cross this border we are no longer safe."

Rayna looked around at the other soldiers who all seem to wear the same expression of determination on their faces. She pulled down her visor so that her entire face was covered and protected. She tightened her grip on her sword, the only thing of her's that she had brought along from her old life.

As far as her father was concerned, Rayna was safely on her way to her Aunt's place. It was Rayden's responsibility to make sure she got there. Getting Rayden in on the plan was a lot harder than she thought it would be, but in the end he had agreed. He knew that this was her passion, and that ultimately one way or another, Rayna would pursue it.

What Rayden really was doing was camping out in the wilderness with Gunter, the only other person besides Rayden who knew the plan. Once Rayden got back, he would lead the fifth and final battalion out to Narnia. He had promised that he would try and get her into his battalion once they arrived in Narnia, but until then she would have to make due with the one she was assigned to.

Rayna was glad that she wasn't in her brother's battalion. He would focus more on her not getting hurt than on his job as captain.

The battalion started marching again, and the tension in the air grew thick. Everyone was keeping an eye out on their surroundings in case there was an attack. They crossed the border in minutes, and soon the whole first battalion was on Narnian soil. Rayna could tell that the Captain, the same man who spoke earlier was weary. His eyes kept darting around as if he knew something was about to happen.

It was then that Rayna heard a faint buzzing sound. She looked around for the source of the noise to no avail. The sound grew louder, as if something was being whipped through the air at high speeds.

"Shields up!" shouted the captain. Rayna grabbed her shield and held it over her head along with the rest of the group. In a matter of seconds, the sun had disappeared as the shields made a shadow over the entire battalion.

Something in her brain clicked as she registered that they were under attack. Not even a minute had passed after she had this thought that hundreds of arrows came flying down from the heaven's hitting the shields at a ridiculous rate.

Rayna let out a soft sigh of relief when it seemed like the shower of arrows had stopped. She kept the shield over her head like the rest, incase there was another attack.

"Ahhh!"

Rayna looked over to her left where the scream had come from. Calormen poured out from behind bushes and trees, taking advantages of the raised shields to strike down the soldiers on the outskirts.

In a matter of minutes a full blown battle had erupted. Half of the soldiers from her battalion were untrained, and men were falling left and right. Rayna ran with her sword drawn, slicing through the skin of a Calormene who had his back to her. She watched him fall, the blood pooling in a puddle beside him. It was her first kill or her first severe injury at least.

Maybe she wasn't cut out for this. She could feel herself retching at the sight, her stomach wanting nothing more than to empty out its contents right there. Someone collided into her, causing her to fall flat on her face. She felt someone tugging on her armor, pulling her up.

Rayna found herself staring into the eyes of her Captain, who was now fighting without a helmet, a gash running across his face.

"Kill, or be killed," he said before he ran off once more, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Rayna realized that this was true. At this very moment her life was in danger, and the only way to make sure she got out alive was to make sure the enemy didn't. She didn't have time to mourn over the death she might have caused. She could do that later…if there was a later.

With a final look at the man she potentially killed, she ran off into the middle of the battle, swinging her sword this way and that. The body count in front of her growing and growing.

* * *

_Narnia_

_March, 22, 1015_

Edmund awoke to a loud banging noise. He jumped out of bed clad in a pair of black slacks and ran to the door, yanking it open.

Peter stood on the other side, his face troubled. Edmund didn't need Peter to voice out what happened. He knew that it had to be something bad, and that it had to be dealt with now.

Edmund grabbed a black tunic and pulled it on over his head, then jammed his feet into the leather boots he kept by his door before following Peter out.

"There has been an attack," Peter said mournfully. Edmund didn't respond immediately, focusing on the stone walls instead.

"Who's men?" He finally asked.

"King Lune's," Peter said as they walked down the narrow corridor that would lead to the meeting room. "It was his first battalion, about a hundred men, mostly untrained."

"All dead?" Edmund asked his voice steady as if he was Peter a question about football and not the fate of a hundred men.

"That is unknown at the moment I'm afraid," Peter said as he opened the door to the meeting room.

Edmund looked over at Zyad who had been following them stealthily. The damn cat was too damn quiet for his own good. He followed his brother in, closing the door behind him.

There were several people milling about around the maps, but they all made way for the two King's.

"The attack happened right here, your majesties," Oreius pointing to the outskirts of the map. It was just past the border of Archenland and Narnia.

"They are trying to isolate us," Peter said softly, "They don't want us to have any outside help, so they are trying to massacre all foreign soldiers that try and come to our aid."

"King Lune may not send any more, once he finds out that his battalion got wiped out as soon as it crossed the border," Edmund said darkly.

"If he chooses to withdraw his support, then that is his decision. Calormen is coming after Narnia, not Archenland, and therefore Archenland had no obligation to get involved," Peter said as he looked Edmund in the eyes. They might both be King's, but Peter was the High King, and that meant his word was final.

Edmund chose to glare down at the map instead of his own brother who would only further scold him.

The wooden door swung open, Lucy standing in the doorway. Merinik flew in and landed right on the table with the maps. Lucy chose to remain at the door and see what her brother's wanted to do about this situation. She looked passive, trying hard to be the Queen she knew she had to be in front of her people. Edmund knew that once Lucy was safely alone in her own quarters, she would cry for the fallen. Peter would most likely go up and hold her, encouraging her to let it all out. The two of them had a very strong relationship, which was the main reason Lucy got away with so much here in Narnia. Edmund turned away from the youngest Queen to look at the hawk.

"Merinik, what have you seen?" Edmund asked the full force of his gaze on the black hawk.

"A battle had broken out, Sire, it's only about a half day's ride from here," Merinik said, as he used his beak to point out where he had spotted the battle.

"Survivors?" Peter asked.

"Yes, on both sides unfortunately. King Lune's men have suffered many casualties, but not as many as the Calormene," he said as he flew into the air, and settled down on the high perch.

"The question is do we go retrieve as many of Lune's men as we can?" Edmund asked.

"No point, Sire, the battle will be long over by the time you get there," Merinik said.

"The army is not ready either, Sire, and if we leave unprepared we won't be able to handle an ambush if one was to occur," Oreius said from his spot beside Peter.

"So all we can do is wait?" Edmund asked his voice hard.

"Yes," Peter said glancing around the room. His voice held sympathy, but it was clear he would not change his mind.

"I'll go inform King Lune of the situation," Lucy said from the doorway. Peter nodded at her in thanks. Edmund listened to the gentle thud of her footsteps as they carried her away from the room.

All Edmund wanted to do at the moment was slaughter as many Calormene soldiers he could. They had wronged him and his family so many times, and this was the last straw. They were hiding out in _his_ woods, planning an attack on _his_ home, on_ his_ people. But all Peter seemed to want to do was delay Edmund this satisfaction a while longer.

Peter wanted Edmund to sit out for just a while longer, even though soldiers who weren't from Narnia were out facing these scoundrels. Edmund gritted his teeth. He wasn't angry with Peter, not really. He was just upset about the situation.

Edmund had been the first person to rebel against Narnia, but he had been a boy when that happened. He was the one responsible for what happened eleven years prior and he was still having a hard time coming to terms with that. That was one the reasons he was so hell-bent on making sure no one else messed with Narnia. At the tender age of ten he had almost brought the whole nation to its knees, but it was through the grace of Aslan that he was forgiven. He vowed from that day forward to protect Narnia with his life. He was Edmund, the Just after all. He would get justice, even if it was the last thing he did.

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**Thank you guys for reading and reviewing and putting me on alerts and favorites. I really appreciate it. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! I love getting reviews, so if you read this chapter, let me know what you thought.**

**Once again, I want to say thanks to** DayDreamerGirl4life, MegElemental, justplaincrazy8, raindropsX **&** chocodrizzle **for their reviews. Thanks guys!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Narnian Wilderness_

_March 23, 1015_

Rayna glanced around at the devastation around her. There was blood everywhere. The grass and trees were covered with the sticky red substance that left an awful smell. Rayna could feel her stomach churning as she looked around herself at the severed body parts. The battle was over…barely. The surviving Calormenes had run off in search of backup, leaving the Archenland army with a handful of survivors.

Rayna saw her captain standing in the clearing with a bloody leg ordering his recruits around. He caught her eye and waved her over. Rayna took one look at him before lifting up her visor and heaving out the contents of her stomach where she had been standing. The captain came over looking sympathetic, yet menacing at the same time.

"I wish I could say it gets easier, but it doesn't," he muttered softly.

Rayna wiped her mouth with the back of hand, before letting the visor fall back down to cover her face. She had never met this captain before, but it was very likely that he knew of her father, and she really didn't want to give him a chance to put two and two together.

"Then how do you do it?" She asked, deepening her voice.

"I do it, because there is a lot more than my life to lose if I don't," he replied.

Rayna gave him a nod, before he walked away. She followed behind at a slower pace. She wasn't sure that this was what she wanted. Sparing with someone was completely different than killing another human being. She had gotten no pleasure from committing the acts that she had committed, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to do it again.

Rayna followed the small group as they continue to diverge deeper and deeper into the Narnian wilderness. The battle had gone on all night, causing everyone to spread out and move around. By the time the last of the Calormenes had run off, they had found themselves deep in the forest, away from the trail they had originally been following.

The captain had everyone moving soon after battle, not leaving any time to rest. He was intent of reaching Narnia before they were attacked again. The numbers on both sides had fallen considerably, but the Calormenes were capable of replenishing their numbers faster in the Archenland battalion was. Rayna was exhausted from fighting all night, but adrenaline kept pounding through her veins giving her the ability to not focus on the pain.

It was nightfall, though the moon was shining brightly in the sky providing the battalion with enough light to get around. The goal was to reach the gates of Cair Paravel by the time the sun came up. Traveling in the dark was a risk, but not traveling was riskier.

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_Narnia, Cair Paravel_

_March 23, 1015_

"Edmund, please stop whispering curses under your breath," Susan said as she buttered her toast.

It was breakfast time, and yet there was no Archenland battalion. Edmund was on edge, whispering curses under his breath every few minutes. He wasn't a patient King, so waiting was never easy for him.

On his other side sat High King Peter, who looked unmoved by everything around him. He was worried, but he didn't show it. He was the High King for that reason alone. Peter had an uncanny ability to hide his feelings, showing only the emotions that his Kingdom wanted to see. There may have been four monarchs, all with equal footing, but the High King was…well the High King.

Across from him sat the youngest Queen, Queen Lucy. She looked deep in thought, a frown on her usually jovial face. She worried about the people in her Kingdom a lot, since she had been the one to stumble across it years ago. She was also the one with the most amount of faith, and no matter how much trouble they were in, her faith stayed stable.

Last but not least was Queen Susan, the only one making an attempt at carrying a conversation. She was just as disturbed as the rest of them, if not more so, since she felt as if this were all her fault, but she was determined not to let it bring her down. Calormen was not get away with trying to destroy the kingdom that she had worked so hard to build.

"For Aslan's sake, the food is going to get cold," Susan said with a hard voice.

"Sorry, Su, I'm just not hungry right now," Lucy muttered, poking at her eggs.

"Susan is right, Lu, you need to eat something," Peter said as he took a drink from his goblet. "That goes for you too, Ed."

Edmund's eye's darkened slightly at the command, but he didn't object. He picked up his fork and grabbed as much food as he could before shoving it all into his mouth.

"I meant eat like a human," Peter said incredulously, watching Edmund with a look of disgust.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh, and soon Susan had joined in. Peter managed a grin, while Edmund scowled at his siblings, but the darkness in his eyes was gone.

"Your Majesty's," Oreius said with a bow.

The four monarch's sobered up immediately, sitting up straight with a look of curiosity.

"What is it, Friend?" Peter asked, getting to his feet.

"I apologize deeply, Sire, for intruding upon your breakfast, but your counsel is urgently required."

"What is the matter?"

"The battalion is here, and the captain requested to speak with you."

"Tell him I am on my way."

"Yes, your majesty," Oreius said with a bow, before turning on his hooves and galloping out.

"I'm coming with you, Peter," Edmund said, standing up.

"As am I," Lucy said with a determined look on her face.

"Considering this is entirely my fault, I will come too," Susan said in a soft voice.

"Very well," Peter said to his siblings. He turned his gaze onto Susan, grasping her shoulders and shaking her softly.

"None of this is any fault of yours Susan. Do not hold yourself accountable for the actions of others," he said sternly, looking his younger sister in the eyes, trying to make the message clear as day. He released his grip on her when she gave him a small nod of understanding.

"Meet up at the pavilion in ten minutes," Peter said as started to walk towards the armory.

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Rayna was exhausted when they finally arrived at Cair Paravel. Her feet were sore, her back was aching and she was starting to feel dehydrated. It had been hours since her last meal, and the fact the she had thrown it all up hours prior wasn't helping her cause.

"Here," one of the soldiers' said, handing her some water. She drank the whole canteen and wiped her mouth afterwards. She left the visor up, so that she could see her surroundings better.

"You did well today, boy," the soldier said, giving her armor a hard pat. It was easy to see that he was one of the more experienced soldiers. He didn't look as distraught and shook-up as some of the other new recruits did. She was sure she looked the same as they did, if not worse. She nodded her had at the man in thanks. She noticed a cross bow clenched tightly in his hands, which told her that he was a long distance fighter.

"I'm Larsen," he said, glancing at her.

"I'm Ray—"she cut herself off before she could finish, hoping she didn't just give herself away.

"Well nice to meet you Ray," Larsen said with a grin.

Internally Rayna was relieved that she had just managed to avert that disaster, but externally she kept a blank look on her face. Rayna was hoping that whatever they were doing would be done with soon. All she wanted to do at the moment was lay down and sleep for a week.

Rayna felt Larsen nudging her. She gave him a questioning look before she looked ahead. It seemed like something was happening. She stood up on her tip toes and she could have sworn that she heard Larsen chuckle from beside her. She ignored him, moving around until she could make out what was going on.

At the front of the battalion, the captain was shaking hands with a young man dressed in gorgeous military clothing. He had a crown on his platinum blond head, and looked quite imposing for someone so young. It took her a few seconds to figure out that she was looking at the High King.

She had never seen the Narnia monarch's before, not even the previous year when there was a battle in Archenland. Her father had kept her well out of the way for that. She knew they were young, but this man couldn't really be that much older than she was.

Behind him stood three more people, all dressed just as finely as him. Rayna would guess that these were the other Narnian Monarch's. They all seemed to encompass just as much authority as the High King did. Her eye's landed on the second King however. His hair was darker than the other three, and something about the way he stood just shouted dangerous. He looked intimating, like someone who could command respect with just a look. Rayna could feel chills running down her spine as she looked into his dark eyes.

"How many are left in your battalion?" The High King asked his voice cutting through the air like a steel blade.

"Forty-one, Sire," the captain responded. Rayna shivered slightly, realizing that more than half of her battalion had been killed.

"How many of these men are untrained?"

"I'd have to guess around twelve or so. The rest were killed in the surprise attack."

Rayna's eyes were once again drawn to the dark king standing further back. His face was unreadable, but from where she was standing she would have to guess that he didn't look happy. Then again, the situation was wasn't exactly a happy one.

"Queen Lucy has notified King Lune about the situation, and we are still waiting for a reply," King Peter said to the battalion, "and until we receive word confirming continuing allegiance, we cannot ask you to continue to participate in this war."

It made sense, since they were Archenlanders and not Narnians. They would not have to fight unless King Lune decided they he wanted them to. The attack in the woods may have made him wary of sending in more recruits. Rayna looked at the captain, hoping to see how he felt about this, but his face remained impassive.

"I can offer your men places to stay in the castle until a decision is agreed upon," King Peter said to the captain.

"I must humbly decline your offer, King Peter, seeing as I have strict instructions to have our soldiers follow standard protocol."

"Very well then, feel free to set up camp where ever you please."

"Thank you, your majesty."

Rayna tried not to look upset about the fact that the captain had just denied them hot showers and mouth-watering meals. She peeked at Larsen, who wore a blank expression on his face, much like the rest of the soldiers. If they were upset about the turn of events they didn't show it at all. Rayna held in a sigh as she turned her attention back to the front. The dark king had taken a step forward, speaking to King Peter quietly as their sisters looked on. She watched King Peter nod before turning his attention back onto the Captain.

"King Edmund would like to ask for your permission to continue with the training of the new soldiers. Even if King Lune wants' you back in Archenland, there is no promise that you will get back unharmed by the Calormen soldiers. You have shed much of their blood, and they are out for revenge. The decision, however, is up to you."

"I will accept the offer, sire," the captain said, turning to look at his battalion. "New recruits, up to the front."

Rayna stood frozen in her spot. The idea of training sounded fine to her when half the battalion was going to be trained, but most of those men had been killed on the way here. Larsen nudged her hard, making her take a step forward. She kept her head down as she walked to the front where the captain was standing. She finally mustered up the courage to look up and found herself staring into the eyes of the Dark King, King Edmund. She looked down at her feet nervously, praying that she wouldn't be discovered. She could feel the immense weight of his eyes on her, looking through her.

"Everyone else is dismissed," King Peter said from somewhere nearby. Rayna managed to peek up at the blond king, who looked a lot friendlier then his brother. She could hear the rest of the soldiers leaving, talking in hushed whispers among each other.

Rayna glanced around at her fellow recruits, surprised to see only about nine or ten people. She felt a sudden pang for the ones they had lost. Her previous adrenaline rush from the battle had died down by this point, and the feelings of what she had done had overwhelmed her. She had killed. It didn't matter if the person was bad or not, she had taken a human life. Rayna could feel herself start to shake in her amour, knowing that she was starting to fall apart. She tried to clear her mind of the images of blood, but it was hard considering a lot of it was now caked on her amour. Blood of the men she killed. Rayna could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, though she tried to stop them. She did not need to be discovered. She had come too far, only to break down now. With all the strength she could muster, she forced her panic attack down. She could cry about this when she was alone, until than, she had to be strong, she had to channel a man of war.

"You made it this far without getting killed," King Edmund said, his voice sharp as a steel blade, "are you proud?"

There was murmur of voices, but she couldn't make sense of it, and neither could the king, because he repeated his question.

The "yes" was more audible this time.

King Edmund walked by each solider, asking them individually if they were proud of making it out alive. Each one had answered yes.

When King Edmund had stopped in front of her, she was shaking, though not as badly as before. His eyes looked into her's, as he asked her if she was proud. She said yes, but her voice wavered, sounding hesitant. He looked at her for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face as he nodded slightly before making his way to the next person. Rayna let out the breath she didn't know she was holding as he continued the process of asking the soldiers.

When he was done, he came up to stand in front of them. His face impassive, his arms crossed over his chest. Rayna couldn't help but admire the way this man stood in front of her. He seemed so sure of himself, so in control of everything. He was young, but he was confident. His whole person seemed to demand respect, and it was obvious that he got it.

"Every single one of you is proud of making it out of that forest alive. But what was the price of making it out alive?"

No one responded.

"You had to kill, you had to murder in cold blood, and you are proud of yourselves for it. You have left a women widowed, you have left children without a father and you have left a family with no income, yet you are proud."

Rayna could feel a shiver go up her spine at his words.

"Don't be proud of taking another's life. This is a war, and pride can get you killed."

Rayna stared up at the dark haired man, her heartbeat quickened as she could feel the panic attack slowly returning. She had just managed to shove her feelings into a box and put them in a dark place in her mind, and with a few word he managed to open the box and intensify the feelings tenfold.

"First day of training will begin tomorrow," King Edmund said as he walked back towards the giant castle, leaving Rayna glued to her spot.

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**Once again, I want to say thanks to** DayDreamerGirl4life, MegElemental, dear heart, raindropsX, Lexi, cuttiecuttiecool **&** chocodrizzle **for their reviews. Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.**


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